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Crazy high meat prices at Union Market — Brooklynian

Crazy high meat prices at Union Market

pastoralia
pastoralia
edited November -1 in Park Slope
I love Union Market...great fresh OJ but their meat prices are whack.

Last week I got a New York Strip steak at Whole Foods for $16.99 a pound. I thought maybe since it was Whole Foods the price might be too high so I checked out M&S Meats on 5th Ave where their (inferior) New York Strips were the same price ($16.99 a pound).

Yesterday I compared prices at Union Market...their Strip steaks: $36.99 a pound!?!

They might say their steaks are dry-aged in house but still...that is absurd. Who pays that?

Comments

  • funkytoot
    funkytoot
    More important than how the meat is prepared (dry-aged or whatnot), what was the US Grade of the meat? Prime is the highest quality and thus most expensive, followed by Choice, Select and Standard.

    I've noticed an almost 75% markup on Prime cuts compared to Choice before.
  • doldrums
    doldrums
    exactly, the whole foods prices was definitely not for Prime, while the Union Market prices definitely was for Prime. big difference in price and quality
  • pastoralia
    pastoralia
    I can't afford to make a taste-test comparison but I will say the Whole Foods steak was fucking fantastic. I'm pretty sure it was Prime.

    EDIT: Just called the Whole Foods on Houston...their steak is Choice. I stand corrected. But it was still damn fine meat.
  • union street
    union street
    We call it "The Union Mark-up."

    That being said, the meat we've bought there has always been really good.
  • doldrums
    doldrums
    less than 2% of meat sold is Prime.
  • daveon8th
    daveon8th
    I used to be shocked at the price of Prime grade beef, then I bought two steaks and ate a restaurant quality meal in the comfort of my home. Totally worth every penny.

    A $36 steak is no more ridiculous than a $3 million dollar apartment.
  • pastoralia
    pastoralia
    I think I'm going to have to try Prime next time to see what the fuss is about.
  • opossumqueen
    opossumqueen
    Hmmm...we're kind of steak obsessed in this apartment, but I have to say, I haven't noticed any quality difference (eating them almost rare) between the Union Market's super pricey (I guess prime) steak and the same cut (possibly choice) from Fairway for $8-15 less per pound.

    I think this might call for a side by side comparison! A steak-off on our deck when it warms up. Will we be able to tell the difference?

    Whatever they have at Fairway is good. A filet from there, cooked to medium rare by OKing, totally changed my FIL's grilling world for the better.
  • drabrabbit
    drabrabbit
    The reason it was so expensive was the aging. It's like asking why is prosciutto more expensive than bacon.

    I treat myself to an aged steak about once a year. They are amazing. Fairway also ages in house and occasionally has a $25/lb sale.
  • grievousangel
    grievousangel
    Their meat is beautiful at Union Market, I have to hand it to them... but the prices are very high even for prime, grass-fed, non-hormone, etc. They are catering to a crowd that doesn't really check prices. Fairway only sells grass-fed beef, and it's a fraction of the price if you want to schlep to red hook, which I don't.

    Check out the Meat Market, it is on PPW right next to Farrells. Not only do they have great prices on nice looking meat, but they have good deals on things like peppers, onions, spices, etc.... i found a plastic container of rice here for $3.99, found the same at Union Market for $6.99. Not Prime, but affordable if you are a carnivore on a budget.
  • booklaw
    booklaw
    Fairway in Red Hook sells both Prime and Choice meats. Signage indicates which is which.
  • gigantic
    gigantic
    damn "you people" because now I want steak. :twisted:
  • opossumqueen
    opossumqueen
    booklaw wrote: Fairway in Red Hook sells both Prime and Choice meats. Signage indicates which is which.
    We're going there tonight so I'll take a look, though for the cut I usually get, they do only have one option every time I've been and I don't know the label. As if I needed more things to consider while grocery shopping :)
  • southsloper
    southsloper
    My wife and I actually picked up $46 worth of NY Strip from Union Market this past weekend to celebrate and even with my inferior cooking we thought it was pretty close to Peter Luger's in taste - worth the indulgence every once and a while if you can do it!
  • brooklynmodern
    brooklynmodern
    Everything but their coffee is way overpriced.....Prospect Park blend 7.99 lb. Good, bold stuff and much cheaper than Starbucks or Oslo.
  • condoguy
    condoguy
    Try staubitz in Carrol gardens.
  • testiculon
    testiculon
    Union Market overcharges because it's convenient.

    Fairway is a great value, if not, United Meat Market on PPW.
  • opossumqueen
    opossumqueen
    So the guy at the meat counter at Fairway tonight said everything in the case is prime. Can't remember the per/lb price but it definitely wasn't the $30+ I see for the same cut at Union Market.
  • vidro3
    vidro3
    brooklynmodern wrote: Everything but their coffee is way overpriced.....Prospect Park blend 7.99 lb. Good, bold stuff and much cheaper than Starbucks or Oslo.
    cafe bustelo, the best and cheapest coffee
  • zebra
    zebra
    M&S/ Park Slope Prime Meats has really good ribeye which is cheaper than Union Market's ribeye. I would like to try one of each in a taste test - but I would have to set aside the next day to sleep it off.
  • pastoralia
    pastoralia
    M&S' ribeye looked good but the New York Strip I got instead was fatty and gristly which was a disappointment because I want to see a butcher succeed here but they don't really have much of a selection.

    For example, I wanted oxtail a couple of weeks ago and the very nice butcher said he needed a day's notice to get it. Oxtail is not some esoteric cut...it should be a staple. I'll try the place on PPW but really the best butcher in the vicinity is Los Paisanos on Smith St. They have everything from snout to tail.
  • grievousangel
    grievousangel
    Flexichick wrote: damn "you people" because now I want steak. :twisted:
    I ended up grilling ribeyes last night because of this thread.
  • belzjm
    belzjm
    they've got some great steaks at the new restaurant, Benchmark behind loki lounge for those who don't want to actually cook one (like myself).
  • opossumqueen
    opossumqueen
    Does anyone go to Western Beef for meat? I haven't been in years, but when we lived in north of EP in Crown Heights, I would drag my granny cart down to Western Beef for their cheap produce and was always fascinated by their meat locker of a back room. The prices were so low I was scared to try much for a while, but they seemed to have EVERY part of a cow and maybe pig, that you might want to eat. It's the only time I've seen cow face as a product to buy.

    Anyway, I remember buying a whole tenderloin for like $40 bucks and having a big steak party off of it. I'm pretty sure that was not prime, but it was damn good for that price. I think we cut 8-10 thick steaks off of it.
  • the chipster
    the chipster
    western beef is like another country! but the insecticide smell inside, combined with the obviously factory farmed meats do not sit well with me. i pay more for hormone free/free range etc.. and don't mind doing so.
    STEAK OFF!!!!
  • willregistersoon
    willregistersoon
    Want to give a shout out for Fairway's steaks. Was craving steak after reading this thread and the new steak place behind Loki was filled up on Sat night. So Sun I went and picked up two prime bone-in ribeyes and one prime-aged shell/strip steak from Fairway. This was for 4 people. The total for all 3 steaks was around $60 and we actually only cooked one ribeye and the shell which was enough to fill everyone up.

    I have to stay , both steaks were absolutely amazing - but also there was definitely a difference in taste between the aged and non-aged meat. I highly recommend trying both. My cooking method is with cast iron:
    1) heat up pan to scorching and disable smoke detectors
    2) sear the steaks for 3 min per side - leaving the inside still rare
    3) let rest for 10 min, then slice into 1/2 in thick slices.
    4) I then put the pieces back in the pan for literally 20 seconds per side or so -or to the doneness that each person likes. This makes a whole bunch of little mini-steaks.

    The best is medium-rare with a slight lean more towards rare. The end result is great - and better than most restaurants.

    So in conclusion - it is worth paying more $$ for both prime and for aged beef! Will have to try union market next.
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